O king, renowned as Vīradhanvan, lord of the earth, listen to the wondrous story of your own past and the blessings that have come to you. In a previous birth, you were a hunter in the forest, taking the lives of deer as your livelihood. Yet, on the auspicious day of Ekādaśī during the bright half of the Phālguna month, you beheld with wonder the worship performed by devoted people. The power of witnessing that sacred act, even as a hunter, set in motion your rise to become a king of great strength and valor. By the grace of that merit, all your enemies were vanquished, and auspiciousness came to you through the blessings of the Divine Mother. Know, O king, that I, Vāmadeva, have realized these truths through the power of asceticism and the strength of yoga. Now, listen attentively as I offer you supreme guidance and protection. Thus addressed by the sage Vāmadeva, King Vīradhanvan humbly asked, “O revered sage, how will the sins I have incurred—especially those from killing cows and Brahmins—depart from me?” Hearing the king’s words, the great sage Vāmadeva replied, “O king, go at my command to the great Kāla forest. There you will find the destroyer of multitudes of sins, as spoken of in all the Vedas.” Obedient to the sage’s words, the king journeyed to the Kāla forest. There, he beheld the Lord of the matted locks, Śiva, the god of gods, worshipped by all the worlds. With deep devotion, the king offered salutations again and again: “Salutations always to Śiva, the universal form. Salutations to the one with matted hair, to Rāma, to the doer who is seized by Māyā. Salutations to the enjoyer, to the smoky one, to the one whose essence is the sky. Salutations to the great darkness-sun, to the destroyer of enemies, to the golden-hued one, to the bewilderer of the bewildered. Salutations to the beautiful one worshipped by the gods, to the deformed one, to the one beyond nature.” Thus, at that sacred time, O goddess, the great god Maheśvara was praised. His entire body was smeared with ashes, radiant with the enjoyment gifted by serpents. His matted locks shone like strings of pearls, bound by the hoods of the king of serpents—white, yellow, and other colors shining alike. Then, the daughter of the mountain, Pārvatī, spoke these words to the king: “The sin that had become matted within you has departed through seeing me.” Thus addressed by the Lord of gods, King Vīradhanvan, praised by the divine hosts, ascended a celestial chariot created by desire. Therefore, the liṅga there is known as Jaṭeśvara, for it is here that sins, having become matted, are destroyed instantly. Those who always worship the god of gods, Jaṭeśvara, O goddess, whether they are gods, gandharvas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, or men, will obtain whatever rare desires they wish for. They will gain unrivaled freedom from enemies and whatever else they seek; they too will become free from sin and suffering. Those who behold Jaṭeśvara with devotion day by day are freed from disease and released from affliction. Those who recite the greatness of Jaṭeśvara, O Pārvatī, attain all desires and, at the end, reach my abode. A pregnant woman who worships here obtains a healthy son, adorned with the ornament of the Vedas. This is truly auspicious, life-giving, and a great support for righteousness and desire. It removes poverty, contact with wicked people, and the causes of a short life. Such is the glory of Jaṭeśvara, the Lord with matted locks, whose grace destroys all sin and bestows every blessing.